


Leap of Faith

by Trespasser94



Series: Leap of Faith [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28882332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trespasser94/pseuds/Trespasser94
Summary: AU of OotP. Eventual HP/DM Slash. Draco is patrolling the castle for the Troll Umbridge, lost in his own inner thoughts. He comes across an injured Harry Potter in a hidden alcove, and takes a chance. Updated regularly.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: Leap of Faith [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118138
Comments: 14
Kudos: 51





	1. Taking a Chance

**Title:** Leap of Faith

 **Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling and associates own these characters. This story is for fun and not profit.

 **Pairings:** Main Pairing: Eventual Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Mentions of others

 **Warnings:** Angst, violence, character death, eventual Slash, AU from Order of the Phoenix onwards

 **Rating:** T for now

 **Summary:** AU of OotP. Wandering through the castle on patrol for the Toad Umbridge, Draco comes across Harry in a hidden alcove. He takes a chance, and everything changes.

 **Author's Notes:** This is my very first fic! X posted on Fanfic.net, I'll try my best to update regularly. Reviews are appreciated!

**Leap of Faith**

** _Chapter 1: Taking a Chance_ **

As night fell on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a lone figure wandered the halls. Draco Malfoy had been assigned to patrol the halls after curfew, and bring anyone he caught to Umbridge immediately. As he walked, he looked down briefly at the badge Umbridge had given him. Silently, he cursed the badge, Umbridge, and everything about his current life. He sighed in resignation, there was no point in dwelling on it all. As he continued walking, he drifted into a state of thoughtlessness, only paying enough attention to his surroundings to avoid running into walls.

**"Dammit! Why won't it stop bleeding?! Curse that evil bint!"**

Draco nearly jumped out of his skin as the shout echoed through the seemingly empty corridors. Once he was sure he could breathe properly again, crept down the hall to the alcove where the shout had come from. As quietly as he could, he pulled back the curtain. It was Harry potter, nursing a bleeding hand and cursing under his breath.

Draco reflected as he silently observed. He'd known for nearly a year now that he needed to approach Harry. There were apologies and explanations he needed to give. He'd tried since the start of term, but each time he was gripped by fear and fell back into the same old patterns of rivalry. Tonight was no different. Draco still couldn't face him, especially not now, while the Gryffindor was injured and cursing the world.

Cursing his own cowardice, Draco turned to leave. Caught up in his thoughts once again, his foot hit the wall a bit as he turned. The noise was small, but deafening in the silence. Slowly, he turned back and forced himself to face Harry. It would do no good to run now. He might as well face the consequences of his spying and get it over with. After seemingly an eternity, grey eyes met emerald green, and the world stood still. All at once, Draco felt as though he was frozen to the ground, pinned beneath the emerald green eyes which seemed to spark with fury. His mouth went completely dry, and he found he couldn't say a word.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry hissed.

Draco's defenses were up immediately. His first instinct was, as always, to fire off the first insult he could think of. It was his natural reaction when faced with anger and scorn from the Gryffindor. Just as the words were on the edge of his lips, he paused. Harry was no longer even looking at him. His focus was once again on his injured hand. Harry never let down his guard when alone with Draco. Every other time they had met alone, his relentlessly tracked Draco at all times, looking like a predator ready to pounce. This time, though he had seemed as angry as ever, he had completely turned his attentions. This caused Draco to pause, and remain silent. He wanted to see how Harry would respond, no doubt expecting to hear a taunt from his rival.

Harry sighed, "Well? Are you just going to stare at me all day Ferret? In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a little busy here. Why don't you go round up some helpless first years? I'm sure Umbridge would love to have some more students torture themselves under her nose…..Bloody hell why won't the bleeding stop! Just get out of here Malfoy. I don't have time for your pathetic attempts at insults today."

Rather than rising to the bait, Draco remained silent and sat next to Harry, who looked confused but said nothing. After a moment's thought, Draco reached out and swiftly but carefully pulled the injured hand into his own, leaning closer to get a better look. Startled, and not knowing what Draco intended, Harry started to pull away. This had evidently been the wrong thing to do, as he let out a yelp of pain and promptly ceased struggling.

"What the devil are you playing at Malfoy?"

Draco ignored him, completely focused on his task. Harry grumbled slightly, but remained still, knowing it wasn't worth the pain to fight the Slytherin.

After dabbing at the wound, Draco was just barely able to make out the lines seemingly carved into Harry's hand, although he couldn't read the words due to the blood still seeping from the wound. He had to struggle to keep his face impassive. The horror and anger he felt on Harry's behalf was nauseating. He wanted to be sick at the sight of it. Finally, he addressed his, for lack of a better word, patient.

"From what you said earlier, I'm assuming Umbridge is responsible?"

Shock passed over Harry's face, and he nodded.

"This was done using a blood quill, correct? I'm guessing it was your detention?"

He took Harry's stunned silence as confirmation. The wound was still bleeding, and he doubted Harry understood why. Blood quills weren't a common form of punishment, at least not these days.

"I'm guessing that you don't know much about blood quills besides what they do. Yes, they are tools of dark magic used to carve a message into one's skin, while simultaneously writing the same message in that person's blood. Pureblood families and tutors often threaten punishment with them, but they are considered archaic by the majority, and rarely are the threats carried out. What many don't know is that blood quills are impervious to magic, other than spells designed to make the punishment worse, for example: Poison, boils, or reopening of the wound at random times even after it has healed. From the look of it I would say she's been having you use the blood quill on its most basic setting until this point. This time around however, Umbridge has used your pride against you. She somehow knew that you would not seek help for this wound, and would instead try to fix it yourself. Because of this, she used curse magic on the quill so that the marks would continue to bleed and increase in pain as long as you tried to treat it yourself. These marks will only begin to heal when someone else tends to it. Otherwise, it would simply torment you until you have in or the curse was removed. You wouldn't have died, even from blood loss, but the pain would grow to unimaginable levels. I imaging Umbridge would have removed it after some time, though how much time is anyone's guess. Sadistic bitch."

After finishing his lecture, he paused to gauge Harry's reaction. He would have expected rage, and maybe accusations of lying after such a speech; there were none. Harry's face seemed frozen in shock. His eyes were wide and he had gone pale.

"Har-" At this Harry's head snapped up. Silently Draco cursed himself for getting too comfortable in his mind. He cleared his throat and continued, "Potter. If you want this to get better you are going to have to show someone." The stubborn idiot started to shake his head and protest, but Draco would not allow him to interrupt. "I know that you being here trying to fix it yourself means that you don't want to show the healer or Dumbledore. And I don't imagine those friends of yours would be of much use." He paused, expecting the usual Gryffindor loyalty in defense of his friends. He had to mask his shock when all he received was a slight nod, gesturing for Draco to continue. Encouraged by the lack of insults or injuries thus far, Draco made his offer. "I could patch this up for you. I can't do as much as Pomphrey or Dumbledore, but that doesn't particularly matter. I can stop the bleeding and ease the pain, allowing the wound to begin to heal."

The silence that followed was deafening, and he could see nothing other than contemplation on the other boy's face. Draco thought he would crack from the pressure until finally, "Why do you want to do this Malfoy? We hate each other. We always have. What's in it for you? I should think you would be glad to see me injured. Why now?"

Once again Draco was nearly thrown into shock. This had been the last thing he expected. He knew Harry had no idea of who Draco really was, and had hoped beyond hope for a fresh start. It never occurred to him how little he himself actually knew about his long-time rival. At once he was gripped by fear. Although his father had never actually hurt him, Lucius Malfoy did not permit defiance, and was certainly a dangerous man. Though he had never been on the brunt end of his father's rage, he had seen it enough times to be afraid of it. He also had no idea how the other Slytherins would react once word got out. He could be ostracized, disowned, possibly even hurt or killed. Could he risk all of that for a chance to be free? He knew if he remained silent he would be forced into servitude under that madman, and soon. He would no doubt be tortured regardless of any efforts he made. He would eventually be forced to hurt others, to kill. That thought made the decision for him, and he knew what he had to do.

"I'm doing this because I care. I never hated you. Not really. I was angry with you when you dismissed me on the train our first year. Of course, now I know what a pompous arse I was, but I didn't at the time. All that I knew was that you had dismissed me for someone I thought lower than myself. I decided to torment you any way I could because of it. I resented you, and Weasley and Granger. I don't anymore. I'm not the same person I used to be. I only wanted to be friends with you back then because of your fame. Your scar. But that's not the case anymore. And I certainly won't stand by while you've been tortured by Umbridge. If you'll let me help you, I will."

If Harry was shocked before, he appeared to be reeling now. "How….Malfoy….But you…..there have been hundreds of chances since then! If you realized you were a git, which you were, why continue? You've still been nothing but a complete arse every time I've seen you! You work for Umbridge; you've even got that ridiculous badge to prove it! On top of that, your family supports Voldemort! How can you want to befriend me when he's out to kill me?!"

Draco had expected this line of questioning, and decided to risk it all and go for the full truth. But first, there was Harry's hand. "I'll explain everything to you, I give you my word. But first, your hand really needs to be seen to. I'll explain everything I do. This may take a while and you shouldn't have to be bleeding and in pain while we talk. Will you permit me to tend to it?"

With a small amount of hesitation, Harry nodded. Draco reached into his robe and pulled out a miniature pack. He enlarged the pack, and explained that it was a medical kit. Harry looked surprised, until Draco explained that every Slytherin carries one for emergencies. From the pack he pulled out a small silver bowl, a bottle of water with a permanent warming charm, an ointment to prevent infection, an ointment to ease pain, clean cloths, gauze, and a wrap. Most of the items were self-explanatory. Harry only asked for clarification on the ointments because they weren't labeled.

"I'll talk as I work. It will help you focus on something besides the discomfort. As for what I'm going to do, it's fairly simple. I can't work any healing magic on it, nor would I if I could. I'm not trained for it. The bleeding has slowed down a fair bit since you've stopped touching it. I'll be able to clean it properly and apply the medicine to it. After which I just need to apply the gauze and wrap your hand. Alright?"

Harry nodded. Draco began to speak, while slowly cleaning his hand.

"I don't support Voldemort. My father does. But I'll get to that in a minute. As to why I never said anything, by the time I realized the truth of the matter, we were firmly on different sides in the eyes of the world. I did as my father expected. As the enemy of the Dark Lord, you were to be hated. I was expected to torment you and best you in every way. Just as an example, my father bought my way onto the quidditch team just to pit me against you. It's the same way for nearly all of Slytherin. We are expected to hate you because of who we are."

He paused. He noticed the words in his hand read, "I must not tell lies". He made a mental note to ask Harry about it later and applied the ointments to his hand. As soon as he was done, he saw a great amount of tension leave Harry's shoulders. He felt another twinge of anger as he realized the boy must have been in far worse pain than he cared to show. He placed the gauze over the ointment, and began the slow and careful process of wrapping the hand. Once he had a good start on the wrap, he began speaking again. "As for Voldemort, he is actually the reason I've finally had the courage to talk to you about all of this. Even when I believed the ideals my father spouted, I never wanted to kill for them. That's what I would be made to do, eventually. Voldemort has come back into power, and my father is in his inner circle, or at least he was the first time around. I would be made to get the dark mark. To serve. To torture. To kill. Maybe not right away. But it would happen. I know the truth. Voldemort is completely mad. I may not have been there for it. But I've heard the stories, just like everyone has. He will destroy everything. I will not scrape and serve beneath the robes of that mutated piece of filth. But if I'm going to be free of that, I'm going to need your help. Once I tell my father, I'll likely be disowned at the very least. School will become a danger once Voldemort gets word. He doesn't take kindly to refusal, no matter who they are. He will want me disposed of, just for the sake of sending a message to the others. The only possibility I have of avoiding it, is with your help."

With those last few words, he completed the wrap on Harry's hand. He placed a mild sticking charm so the wrap would not come undone on it's own and let go. He sat and watched as Harry gingerly moved his hand around, wincing slightly but looking extremely relived nevertheless. After he finished his inspection, he met Draco's nervous gaze.

It seemed as if Harry was staring directly into his soul, and Draco struggled to keep eye contact. He refused to back down, and let the honesty and sincerity he felt show on his face. Surprise showed on Harry's face, and finally he spoke.

"Thank you for helping with my hand Malfoy. I appreciate it. I have one last question for you. Did you know Umbridge was doing this to students?"

Even under Harry's piercing stare, Draco didn't hesitate, "No I didn't. I may have been forced to work under her and capture students on her behalf, but I didn't know these were her methods. She doesn't tell us anything besides where to be and who to target, and I haven't served detention with her. I doubt anyone in Slytherin has truthfully, self-preservation and everything. No one wants to be alone with her. But even if they did, they wouldn't say anything. They would be mocked for complaining if they did."

Draco wasn't surprised this time when Harry immediately nodded. He knew he was telling the truth, and had been sure it would show on his face. He had no need for his Malfoy mask, and had decided against using it with Harry.

Harry turned to leave and Draco's hopes plummeted. He assumed this meant he was being rejected once again, and tried to keep from being overcome by the devastation until he was alone. He started when, as if hearing Draco's thoughts, Harry turned and spoke to him again, one hand on the curtain that separated them from the rest of the castle.

"I'm not rejecting you Malfoy. I just need time to think. Give me a day. You've said a lot tonight, and most of it rather shocking. I had my suspicions about some of the things you said, but I didn't expect it to be to this magnitude. At most I think I expected things to be less hostile. And maybe hoped you'd changed your beliefs. I've had a long and painful day, and it is rather late. Meet me tomorrow after curfew, on the seventh floor, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. There is somewhere safe there we can talk. "

He didn't wait for Draco's agreement, and left the room without another word. Draco sat, stunned, his earlier hopes returning. He knew he couldn't risk anyone seeing the emotions in his eyes or the exhaustion on his face, even at this time of night; so he spent some time in the alcove calming himself until he was sure no one would notice any difference. Once he was satisfied, he swiftly made his way to the dungeons. The common room was empty and everyone in his house was already asleep, at least from what he could tell. He was just barely able to dress and lock his curtains, before the night's events rushed back at him and he was overcome with exhaustion. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. That night he dreamt of happy things for the first time in months. He dreamt of flying and freedom, and slept soundly through the night.


	2. Memories and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry mulls over the summer and his encounter with Draco.

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1! Not Mine!

 **Author's Notes:** This chapter is shorter than the previous one, but I thought it a good place to stop for Harry. I already had this one typed up and ready to go, but hopefully I'll be able to post the next one soon. Review please!

_**Chapter 2: Memories and Decisions** _

As Harry lay in bed that night, he found himself wide-awake. He was completely drained, mentally and physically, but sleep just wouldn't come. Thoughts of his conversation with Malfoy kept replaying in his head. He felt slightly guilty for putting Malfoy off instead of answering him. He knew the other boy would worry about it until their next meeting, but he had been thoroughly exhausted and he still needed to consider the potential consequences with a clear head.

Too wired to sleep, and too tired to think of Malfoy, Harry lit his wand and reached into his bedside table, pulling out a small dragon-leather pouch. He clutched it in his hands fondly, thinking of Sirius, who had given it to him over the summer. He extinguished the light on his wand and lay back down, keeping hold of the pouch.

He smiled in the darkness as he remembered his last day at Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Sirius had already talked to Harry once that summer, teaching him about pureblood families and sharing his childhood with him. Sirius had told Harry that he wasn't a bad person, and those few words had meant the world to Harry. That being said, Sirius excluded of course, Harry was still furious with the lot of them for ignoring him over the summer and trying to hide everything for him.

Harry had taken to hiding away in the Black Family Library rather frequently during his stay at Grimmauld place. He had found an old sofa in a darkened corner, worn but at least free of creatures. Harry had found it was a great place to silently brood in his anger. That morning, Harry was lying on the couch as usual, arms crossed, raging at the world. He'd been there for several hours, and had been starting to fall asleep when suddenly, a large black dog jumped on top of him, licking his face furiously.

"Argh! Padfoot! Gerroff!" Harry spluttered, trying his best to shield his face from the sheer amount of slobber coming from the dog's mouth. Sirius didn't seem inclined to listen, however, and continued his merciless attack. Harry burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.

After making Harry laugh uncontrollably for several minutes the dog jumped off his lap and on to the floor, transforming into his human form.

"There we go!" Sirius shouted. "You've got to stop hiding away up here. I know you're still angry, and you have every right to be. I don't like that they've been trying to keep things from you, or how Dumbledore has handled a lot of things over the years, but you've got me pup. I'm on your side, no matter what."

"Padfoot I… thank you. For everything. You're the only one who hasn't been trying to hide things from me. You always give me a say, and treat me like a normal person. "

Harry was too overwhelmed by the concern his godfather had shown to say more. Instead, he got up and enveloped Sirius in a tight hug.

"It's alright to feel angry, Harry. It was completely unfair to you. Your friends had their hearts in the right place, even if it doesn't seem like it right now. Take some time if you need to, but try to forgive them. Close friends are irreplaceable. Take it from me. " Sirius said.

I'll try padfoot" Harry said quietly, "It might be a while, but I'll try."

Sirius straightened and clasped Harry's shoulder, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Now, I want to tell you about the Room of Requirement. Have you ever heard of it?"

"No, what's that?" Harry asked, forgetting his lingering mood in his curiosity.

"It's not on any books or any maps, and not many know about it. Your dad, Moony, and I _tried_ to put it on the Marauders map, but the stupid thing just kept disappearing. It was the only glitch we ever had with the map."

Sirius paused a moment, his irritation at the map evident in his face.

Sirius sighed and continued, "Anyway, there's no door at first. You have to walk past the empty wall where it should be, thinking of what you want the room to become. In your case, with the lies the prophet has been spreading and the way you are often treated at school, I figured you could use a place where no one can find you. The room can give you a place to sleep, a place to relax, or a place to vent if you need to."

Harry had been ecstatic at the prospect of having a place to hide away from time to time. His anger temporarily forgotten, He spent the rest of the day with Sirius, badgering him with questions about the Room and his time at school. It had been the first time in a while Harry was able to really forget his troubled thoughts.

* * *

Shaking himself out of his memories, Harry put the pouch back in its place. It was sturdy and charmed with spells to protect the items inside, as well as to be expandable. It was where he now kept the Map, his invisibility cloak, and the photo album of his parents.

Calmed by the thoughts of his Godfather, he found himself slowly relaxing. Before he knew it, Harry was fast asleep.

Harry was awakened the next morning by a faint but steadily increasing burn in his hand. Still exhausted and half-asleep, it took him a few moments to remember the events of the previous night. He was irritated that the medicine had already worn off, until he remembered that Malfoy had given him the pack after he'd finished treating Harry's hand. All at once, he was completely awake, and he wasted no time in applying the ointments and changing the bandage. The relief he felt was immediate.

Harry cast a tempus charm, shocked to realize it was already after noon. Thankfully, it was Saturday, so he didn't have to worry about lost time. Harry quickly dressed, gathered his things, and headed for the kitchens.

. With the prophet and ministry declaring him a mentally unstable liar, the great hall had become unbearable with constant staring, gossiping, and jeers from his classmates. True, that had been the case every other year in one way or another, but this year had been worse than ever. He'd put up with it at first, but had taken to requesting food from the house elves more often than not lately. True to their nature, they were only too happy to oblige. They would provide him with a picnic basket holding far too much food, but charmed weightless so he could carry it. After the first visit, Harry had requested a stasis charm on the food as well. He'd tried asking for less, but the elves wouldn't hear of it and he didn't want the food to go to waste. He was sure Hermione would be furious with him, but as he wasn't speaking to her and both he and the house elves were happy with the arrangement, Harry couldn't bring himself to care too much.

When Harry got to the seventh floor, he paced in front of the wall where the door would appear, thinking of a simple living room. He focused on making the room feel welcoming and neutral, as well as comfortable. He was satisfied when he entered a well-lit blue and grey colored sitting room, with a warm fire in the fireplace, two comfortable looking sofas, and a coffee table between them.

Harry sat on the nearest sofa and became lost in thought, once again thinking of Sirius. What would his godfather think of the current situation?

Suddenly, he remembered what Sirius had told him when Harry had first confided in him."We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on...that's who we really are."

Harry touched his hand, noting the lack of pain. It was at this moment that he'd already made his decision. Both Malfoy's words and actions from the previous night showed that he was trying to take a different path.

Harry would do what he could to help him. As for being friends? Only time would tell.

Mind made up, Harry settled down to work on his homework until Malfoy arrived.


	3. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Draco meet again, and things are set in motion.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1, I own nothing!

**Chapter 3: Revelations**

It was just after 10 pm as Draco Malfoy approached the location Harry had given him the night before. He’d had a rough time getting from the dungeons to the seventh floor, narrowly dodging Filch and Peeves along the way, but he’d made it.

“Okay,” he said to himself, “The seventh floor, left-hand corridor, ridiculous tapestry…..are those trolls wearing skirts?” He shuddered briefly, then faced the wall, as Harry had instructed and….

“Nothing…There’s nothing here!” Disbelief, anger, and fear gripped him all at once. If Harry had been having him on…..

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a door appeared!

Draco had to fight to keep his face expressionless as an amused Harry Potter emerged. As it was, he couldn’t quite contain himself. “Potter!” he nearly shouted, before catching himself and hissing, “What in the bloody fuck….?! How did you…? What is that?”

He ground his teeth as the Gryffindor laughed, clearly enjoying his shock and bewilderment.

“Come inside Malfoy, I’ll explain everything.”

Draco paused, not quite wanting to trust a door that came from nowhere.

Harry sighed at him. “Come on Draco, it’s just a room, it won’t bite”

Floored at the casual use of his first name by his long-time rival, Draco forced himself forward, entering the room with all of the Malfoy-bred confidence he could muster.

As Draco cautiously peered inside the mystery room, he was surprised and somewhat disappointed. It was nothing but a common sitting room! Why on earth would there be an invisible door to a common sitting room?!

His feelings must have shown on his face, for in the next moment, Harry burst out laughing.

Draco was bewildered and slightly hurt by this outburst. There was no reason to be laughing at him!

“Would you kindly explain what it is you find funny, Potter?”

Harry doubled over at Draco’s petulant stare, managing to choke out between his laughter, “Your….Hah hah…Your face! Oh, Merlin….You should see…..your face! And….Bloody fuck….Hah hah! Prim and proper….Malfoy….Never thought I’d hear….Hah Hah Hah!”

Harry dissolved into laughter once again, and Draco relaxed. He couldn’t find any malice in the other boys’ words. He had to admit that his parents would have been horrified at such an “unbecoming” use of language. He couldn’t help but smile a little as he watched Harry’s behavior. He’d been petrified throughout the entire day, fearing rejection and worse. But for Harry to laugh so freely in front of him must mean something good. For the first time in a long time, Draco allowed himself to hope.

Shaking his head, “Alright Potter, it’s not that funny. You caught me off guard. Now, will you please calm yourself and explain what this place is? Surely an average sitting room wouldn’t need an invisible door.”

Harry took a breath and stood, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. There was a teasing light in his eyes as he said, “Back to Potter now are we? And here I thought we were at least on a first-name basis.”

He sighed at the other boy. “Fine then….Harry.” Draco said, looking away with a small degree of stiffness, still fearful of rejection.

After a moment, he looked up to find Harry smiling at him. It was a small smile, but it was there. The first one ever directed at him. Feeling awkward, he looked away and moved toward the couch. He sat and waited, determined not to say another word until his question was answered.

Harry came and sat down across from Draco, still smiling. “This is called the Room of Requirement. It’s also been called the Come and Go Room, and the room of hidden things.”

At this, Draco’s eyes shot up.

“I’m guessing you’ve heard of it?” Harry said.

Draco nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

“You know my Godfather, Sirius Black? He told me about it and…”

“ **Sirius Black?!** But...your parents! He…”

Harry put up his hand, “No, he didn’t betray my parents. Don’t ask. We can talk about that another time. Now, are you going to let me tell the story?”

Draco’s curiosity was overwhelming, but he knew he wouldn’t get any answers out of the Gryffindor at the moment. He closed his mouth and nodded.

Harry paused as if not trusting him to keep his questions to himself, and then continued. Draco listened with rapt attention as he was told all about the press and the students, the harassment, and how Sirius Black had told him about this room as a lifeline to escape it all from time to time.

“And that’s it. Any questions?” Harry said.

Draco found himself speechless, something he did not often experience. Shaking himself slightly, he asked, “Why bring me here? I take it your little Gryffindor friends don’t know. So why me, of all people?”

Harry was silent for a moment, and then, “I’ve decided to give you a chance, Draco. You helped me when I needed it last night, and you said you wanted to be my friend. I believe you.”

Before Draco could think up an intelligent response, Harry continued, “Besides, if it does turn out that you are the smarmy prat I always thought you were, I can just ask the room to refuse you when I’m inside.”

Draco flinched, then nodded. “One more question. How did you know when I got here?”

Harry hesitated, “Oh that….I have a map. I’ll tell you about it sometime. Not yet though.”

Draco decided it was best not to ask more for the moment, and turned his thoughts to everything Harry had told him. He wasn’t surprised that the Gryffindor needed a hideout. The other students were relentless when it came to all things Harry Potter. Then there was Umbridge….he shuddered to think that he may have led to other students undergoing her torture sessions. 

Draco was so wrapped up in disgust and self-loathing, he nearly jumped when Harry broke the silence. 

“So, what are you going to do?” 

“What do you mean?” Draco asked, confused. 

“About your father and everything. I mean, I’m sure you can hold off for a bit. He’s not going to try to make you a death eater tomorrow. But how are you going to handle it? What do you plan to do afterward?”

“Oh, that…” Draco shrugged, “I already owled him. I denounced the death eaters and Voldemort and shamed him and his actions in the process. It was really quite a relief actually. I wrote everything I’ve been wanting to say, insulting him thoroughly and eloquently in the process. I imagine it will be quite a shock when he reads it.”

_….Silence…._

As he locked eyes with Harry, Draco noted that shock and bewilderment were plastered all over the Gryffindor’s face. Of course, he’d known it would be a bit of a shock. It was a rather bold move, particularly for a Slytherin. 

Draco said nothing and waited, sure Harry would overcome his shock on his own. Several minutes passed this way, with the two staring at each other, saying nothing. 

He was beginning to feel concerned....was Harry alright? Was he still breathing?

And then suddenly.....

**“YOU WHAT?!”**


	4. Surpassing Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's POV in the Room of Requirement. Harry is in for some surprises, and how does Draco plan to deal with this mess?

**Author's Notes:** Sending love to anyone who takes the time to read this story. It is quickly becoming my baby :) Massive thanks and props to everyone who helped me get this chapter out: All of my lovely Larks and my awesome beta ReaperCrow! We are setting the stage with this Chapter. Next, we enter the Great Hall, and the real fun begins. 

_**Chapter 4: Surpassing Expectations** _

**“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ALREADY OWLED HIM?! HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY MENTAL MALFOY?!”**

Harry was in shock. Of all of the things he had expected tonight, this certainly wasn’t one of them. They had hit it off rather well, and Harry had been pleased. Now, he was furious. Apparently, the prat had decided to try to get himself killed. With a jolt of surprise, Harry discovered he truly cared about what would happen to Draco, not just as a person in trouble, but as Draco. This just made things worse. What in the name of Merlin were they going to do? He hadn’t had time to come up with a plan at all!

All at once, he was broken out of his internal panic when he heard, “Here I thought we were on a first-name basis, Harry,” Draco said calmly, throwing Harry’s earlier comment right back at him with a slight smirk on his face.

“What could you possibly have to look so pleased about? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Draco, you’ve just signed your death warrant! Sure, you were going to have to do that at some point, but now? Even a Gryffindor wouldn’t have gone off and done something like this! What are we supposed to do? We’ve got to think of something. We’ve got to….”

Harry had been talking rather fast and had stopped paying any attention to Draco during his ranting. Because of this, he was struck silent when the Slytherin placed his hands on Harry’s shoulders, as though attempting to calm him. “Harry don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

“Just tell me why? Why did you take such a big risk? You didn’t even know I was going to say yes. What would you have done if I had said no?”

Draco looked at him for a few moments, his hands still placed on Harry’s shoulders. “I’ll admit, I was concerned about how tonight would go. You’re ever the noble Gryffindor, but you have every reason to detest and distrust me. Honestly, I half-expected you to say no, or not even show. If you had, I probably would have just gone on the run on my own. I wanted your friendship, it’s true, and things would be much easier with your support; but I didn’t go into this half-hearted. Slytherins are known for self-preservation, sometimes to a cowardly degree, but how would I be any safer willingly working for a madman., While I may have re-evaluated the twisted beliefs I was raised with, I refuse to bow and scrape before anyone, least of all snake-face,” he scoffed.

Harry had been filled with surprise and something akin to awe listening to Draco’s thoughts, but he burst out laughing at his description of Voldemort. “Nice to see you haven’t gone soft.” he laughed, “I was beginning to worry.” Draco shoved him away, but Harry could tell it was playful from the small smile on the blonde’s face.

It was a relief to know how serious Draco was about this; Harry had worried whether he’d known what he was getting into. That being said, there was still one thing to worry about. “We have to come up with some kind of plan. There’s no telling how the other Slytherins will react to this, let alone how far your father will go when he receives your letter. That was impressive by the way, I would have never thought you had in you,” Harry said honestly.

He would have expected Draco to defend himself, and so was surprised yet again when he simply muttered, “Neither would I,” and then confidently, “Regardless, I am no Gryffindor. True that it was a rather bold act on my part, but unlike you, I came up with a plan for the fallout from my actions.”

Harry couldn’t believe they were making friendly jibes with each other. He would have expected a more difficult transition from hated enemies. “Oh sod off you prat. Well, go on then, what’s this brilliant plan of yours?”

Draco said nothing and stepped back several paces. After a moment, Harry’s eyes widened...this could work.

Standing before him was a beautiful white cat with a dark grey face, ears, and tail. His eyes were the most vivid blue Harry had ever seen. Draco Malfoy was an animagus.

Harry stepped towards the cat, kneeling so he could be closer to eye-level. Draco was staring at him, his surprisingly fluffy tail slowly swishing back and forth. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are really cute.” Cat-Draco sniffed and lifted his nose in the air. Harry imagined he could hear him say, “well obviously,” and he couldn’t help but laugh a little.

His hand reached towards the animagus, almost of its own accord. The animagus backed away, suddenly returning to his human form, amusement coloring his face. “Were you just about to _pet_ me, Harry?”

Quick as lightning, Harry rose to his feet, brushing off his robes and feigning irritation, “Cut it out you ponce, I was not. I can see why your form is a cat.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Cats are pompous, finicky, nosy, and sneaky. So are you,” he declared with a smile.

Draco stood taller, sneering in the posh and arrogant way Harry had seen many times before, the difference being this time that it seemed purposely exaggerated, and he could see amusement in the grey eyes, “I’ll have you know that cats are regal and royal animals. They are discerning, naturally curious, and clever. Of course, a plebian such as yourself would never be able to appreciate those qualities,” he folded his arms and peered down at Harry, both collapsing into peals of laughter.

After several moments the boys were able to calm themselves, wiping tears of mirth from their faces. Still chuckling softly, Harry reflected the differences he had seen in Draco tonight. Draco's laughter was utterly contagious and much more of a pleasant sound than the menacing jeers and taunts he had come to know over their shared years at Hogwarts.

"So, you planned to go on the run as a cat?"

Draco returned to his seat across from Harry and nodded, “I’ve been working on it since the end of third year. At first, it was simply because I wanted something to lord over others. It was only when I realized where my future was headed that I started to form a concrete idea. I didn’t have much hope that you would agree to help me, so I had to come up with a backup plan. That plan was to leave Hogwarts as a cat and remain that way as long as needed.”

Trying to make light of his concern at the idea, Harry playfully asked, “so you would have hunted mice and skirted around dark alleys for the rest of your life?”

“Merlin forbid,” he grimaced, “Believe it or not, I can be very charming when I want to be. I had hoped to appeal to someone in my cat form and be taken in. I would have to move on eventually of course, as normal cats don’t have the lifespan of a wizard. I would switch from home to home, and yes, live as a stray if need be. Hopefully, you would eventually defeat the bastard and my father with him, and I could come out of hiding.”

“You would really be okay living like that? Without magic? Leaving everything you know? Living as a cat for the rest of your life?”

“Admittedly, it would have been a very difficult existence, but no one knows that I’m an animagus, not even my father,” he paused and amended with a slight smile, “no one except you that is. I would be safe and free. If I couldn’t be of use to you, at least I could make sure I was of no use to them.”

Harry could admit privately that he was more than a little honored at holding such a secret, “But then why tell me about it? Obviously you don’t need to roam the streets now. Except,” he paused momentarily, thinking about the situation, “It’s the other Slytherins isn’t it? Will you be in danger?”

Draco’s eyes widened in apparent shock, “Impressive Harry, and the truth is I’m not sure. Slytherins as a whole have always been seen as evil by other houses. It all comes down to one thing; blood-purity. Salazar Slytherin started this by proposing that muggle-borns be denied entrance to Hogwarts, thus the majority of his original students were pure-bloods. This continued throughout the generations, as did the discrimination against muggle-borns. The original death eaters followed Voldemort for the same reason. He preached blood-purity, although eventually, his cause would evolve to eradicating muggle-borns and muggles completely. My father was a death eater, and therefore I am expected to become one. It is the same with others in my house; they will be expected to side with power, blood, and Family. To deny this is to risk being expelled from the Family, which would cause a lot of difficulty for a pure-blood, as well as a Slytherin. We are trained not to ask for help, and where would we get it if we could?”

Harry nodded in understanding. After all, Sirius had been expelled from his family for rebelling against their beliefs and expectations. Sirius had told him that Harry's father and his family had adopted him, saving him from the difficulties he would have been subjected to otherwise. Thinking about the division in the houses, he realized that no other Slytherin would be likely to have such an option. They were all still kids after all. How many choices did they have?

“So you think they may be forced into taking action against you?”

“Exactly. Hogwarts is safe from the dark lord and the death eaters as long as Dumbledore is around. Many of my classmates will most likely be ordered to attack me in some shape or form, covertly of course. Hence the cat form. I’m assuming you’ll find some way to help me out with the holidays,” he paused. Once Harry nodded, he continued, “Until then, I’ll be safe enough in class, and can hide out as a cat the rest of the time.”

Mulling it over, Harry could see some serious flaws in this plan. “Alright, but then where would you sleep, and how would you eat? Surely the other Slytherins would notice something if a random cat started skulking about the dungeons, and if you eat in the great hall you could be poisoned.”

Waving a hand, as if swatting away the obvious issues, “It’s simple really. Now that I know about this room, I can stay here well enough, or else just sleep somewhere on the grounds. As for food, I can hunt well enough as a cat. True, as a human it’s a revolting prospect, but as a cat, I don’t really mind. Otherwise, I could just sneak to the kitchens and ask the house-elves, although I could be followed there.”

Harry was gobsmacked. Draco-bloody-Malfoy, obsessed with appearing proper and elegant at all times, was planning to sleep on the ground and eat rodents. Even living with the Dursleys, those things did not appeal in the slightest to Harry. There was an option working its way around the back of Harry’s mind...no...it was too soon to offer that. Draco would probably never accept it anyway. He was too proud. “Alright then, if you’re sure,” Harry started, “I’ll go to Dumbledore in a few days...if he’ll even see me. If not, I’ll talk to Sirius. We’ll figure the rest out. Agreed?”

There was a brief hesitation, and then Draco nodded. After a moment, he stood, "I should be getting back to the dungeons."

“You’ll be safe there?”

Draco gave a small smile and nodded, “word will come with the morning post at the earliest. I don’t need to worry until then.” With that, Draco turned to leave.

“Hold on a second,” Harry called.

Draco turned; his gaze curious as Harry approached and held out his hand.

“I’m Harry Potter, nice to meet you,” he proclaimed, his smile bright and genuine.

"Draco Malfoy, nice to meet you too," he answered, allowing a small smile as he grasped Harry's hand and shook it firmly.

With that, Draco bid Harry goodnight and left. After a few minutes, Harry made his own exit, heading back to Gryffindor tower, laughing along the way at the thought of the next day. It was nearly one in the morning at this point, and he was sure to be completely knackered.

Sometime later, as he lay in bed, mere moments from drifting off, thoughts of Draco flickered through Harrys' mind, giving him a curious sense of comfort before he fell into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.


	5. So It Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short-ish chapter. How does Lucius handle Draco's little letter?

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1. I own nothing!

 **Author's Notes:** Two chapters in one day! Can you believe it? This chapter is shorter because a lot is about to happen with Harry and I wanted it separate. As always, thank you to my lovely readers, and I hope you're enjoying the journey (please tell me!). Love to NoxCelestis, homonemrevelio, lightningspartan1996, mattheb, SowenElf, kaedemarie, and all of my other lovely larks, without whom I would not have the courage to continue writing. 

**_Chapter 5: So It Begins_ **

When the world looked at Draco Malfoy, they saw what he wanted them to see; a mask of pure arrogance and disdain. It had been beaten into him as a child; Malfoys do not show emotion. Fear was a weakness; love and affection were pathetic and nonexistent. 

Ever since Draco had begun to doubt the validity of his father's beliefs, his mask had threatened to slip. Today, maintaining his air of indifference was nearly impossible. As Draco prepared for the events to come, his fears bubbled just beneath the surface. 

Draco steeled his resolve; there was nothing to be done now but face his future, whatever it may hold. With that, he entered the great hall, attempting to glance discreetly at the Gryffindor table and failing miserably. 

As grey eyes met green, Draco did a double-take, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor. 

Harry was staring at him, his eyes filled with...was that...concern? For him? 

Forcing his feet and eyes forward, Draco recovered himself and moved towards his table. Oddly, the concern in Harry's eyes had calmed his nerves, reminding him that there was someone there to help him absorb the blow of whatever his father had planned. 

After what seemed an eternity of picking at his food and barely acknowledging his housemates, Draco heard the familiar flutter of owls bringing the morning post. His eyes immediately locked on the magnificent eagle owl soaring towards him, a letter with a familiar red glare in its claws. 

Draco nearly laughed at the layer of messages his father was sending to the public. Lucius not delivering this message in person would show that Draco was no longer worth the effort. At the same time, the howler would announce his betrayal to all who were present. In truth, it was rather predictable; his father had always had a flair for the dramatic. 

_Well_ , he thought, _I suppose I should get on with it_. 

With that, Draco released the seal on the envelope.

…

**DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY! YOU DARE!!! YOU DARE TO THINK YOU COULD SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A WAY! YOU THINK TO ABANDON YOUR FAMILY AND DEBASE YOURSELF WITH FILTH!!! SMALL-MINDED SIMPLETONS, BLOOD-TRAITORS, AND MUDBLOODS! MARK MY WORDS, YOU WILL REGRET THIS BETRAYAL! YOU WILL COME TO ME BEGGING ON YOUR KNEES, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN! YOU HAVE INCURRED MY WRATH AND THAT OF THE DARK LORD! YOU ARE NO LONGER MY SON! YOU ARE NO LONGER A MALFOY! I WILL ENSURE YOU GO THE SAME WAY AS THAT POTTER BOY AND HIS PATHETIC LITTLE….**

_-Poof-_

Draco hadn't realized it but, from the moment the howler had opened, he had forgotten about the world around him. The words had pierced him through the chest and he was in a state of shock. When the letter suddenly caught fire, he jerked as though slapped, once again in the present. He was in the Great Hall, and the entire school now knew that he had defied his father, who had disowned him and threatened to kill him…or at least would have if the letter hadn’t caught fire.

 _Wait_ , he thought, _caught fire_?

Draco’s mind began to work at a furious pace.

When a howler had delivered its message, it tore itself up. This one had caught fire. Someone had to have cast Incendio, destroying the howler before it was finished.

But who, and why? 

As if pulled by an outside force, he turned once more to the Gryffindor table, and all at once, he knew the answer. Harry's eyes were blazing with fury and locked on the spot above Draco's head where smoke still hung in the air.

Harry had destroyed the howler. 


	6. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry has destroyed the Howler and Draco has been humiliated in front of the entire school. Tides begin to turn, plans are made, and relationships begin to evolve.

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1. I own nothing!

**Author's Notes:** As always, thank you to my wonderful readers, and I hope you're enjoying the journey (please tell me!). Love and hugs to all of my Lovely Larks. Lastly, all bow down to my amazing friend Kaedmarie, without whom this chapter would not exist as it is. She worked tirelessly to help me work out all the knots running around in my brain. 

**_Chapter 6: Making Plans_ **

Harry was furious to the point of seeing red. Before he could contemplate his actions, his wand was out and the spell was muttered. With that, the howler was gone, taking the obnoxious voice of Lucius Malfoy with it. For several moments there was nothing but silence, as though a spell had been cast on the entire Hall. 

If anyone had asked, Harry might have said he just didn’t want to hear the arse drone on any further, but he knew the truth. Seeing the look on Draco’s face had driven him to take action. No one else would have noticed it, but Harry could see the pain and fear reflected in his eyes, even at this distance, and had felt an overwhelming impulse to put a stop to it. Thankfully, everyone was too focused on the howler itself to have paid much attention. 

As the last of the smoke cleared, the spell around the room was broken, erupting into complete chaos. The shouting was such that Harry could swear the enchanted ceiling was shaking slightly. This lasted for a few moments before Dumbledore’s voice boomed louder than the rest, magnified by the sonorous spell. 

**“SILENCE!”**

The room was suddenly so quiet that a pin could drop. 

“If everyone would please return to your seats and finish the meal the house-elves have so kindly prepared for us this morning. You will all want your energy for classes. Despite the nature of the howler, it is Mr. Malfoys’ business alone.” 

Though Professor Dumbledore spoke softly, the students knew better than to protest, and everyone resumed their eating and gossiping, albeit at a much lower volume. Draco’s seat was conspicuously empty; he had taken advantage of the chaos and fled the Hall. 

Harry wanted to follow but knew it wouldn’t be wise. He was worried about Draco, a fact that surprised him, but there was nothing he could do except wait for a chance to slip away. He finished his breakfast, although he had lost any remaining appetite, and resolutely ignored the usual stares from Ron and Hermione. Really, it was getting ridiculous. He wished they would just stop, or come say whatever they wanted to say and get it over with. Either way, he had no intention of approaching them anytime soon. Although he was no longer as angry with them, forgiveness was still a long way off; particularly because they had never properly apologized in the first place. 

* * *

As he headed towards History of Magic, Harry made a sudden decision and turned for the staircase. He didn’t have the map, but he had a hunch Draco wouldn’t be going to class this morning. 

Just then, “Where are you going, Harry? We have class.”

Harry turned, “I’m skiving off. That class is as dull as a pile of rocks and there’s something else I need to do.”

With a stern look on her face, “what could you have to do that would be more important than classes? We have OWLs this year Harry. We have to take them seriously!”

Harry just barely contained the desire to roll his eyes at her. She was so predictable at times he could have recited that speech before she’d spoken it. “Look Hermione, It’s none of your business. You two had your own secrets this summer, and now I have mine.”

At this point, Ron stepped forward, his face slightly red, “This has nothing to do with that! We saw you, Harry! You  _ helped _ Malfoy! How could you do that to us? No matter what that letter said, he’s still Malfoy! He’s been nothing but a slimy bastard since the day we met him! Now you’re betraying us by…”

Harry was about ready to explode when suddenly,

“Ronald Weasley!”

They both looked at Hermione in shock.

“But Hermione he…”

“No Ronald! We agreed we wouldn’t approach him this way! No matter what Malfoy has done in the past, you heard that message just as well as I did. And Harry is right; It’s none of our business.”

At this, she turned towards Harry. 

“You shouldn’t be skipping classes Harry. But if you are helping Malfoy, he’ll need you right now. Who knows what’s going to happen now that this has come out. You go, and I’ll take notes for you. You can study them later,” she finished in a tone that brooked no argument. 

Harry paused for a moment, then nodded, “Thanks. See you later,” and ran towards the stairs. 

* * *

As he paced in front of the wall, slightly out of breath from running, Harry focused his thoughts solely on Draco, hoping against hope that the boy was here and would have thought to allow him entrance. After five minutes he began to lose hope, wondering if he should return to the Tower and collect the marauders’ map. If Draco wasn’t in the room, there was no telling where he would go. 

Just as he began to turn, however, the door appeared. He rushed in, stopping short when he saw the state of the room. Perhaps it had once been a large, up-scale office; now it was just a pile of rubble. A large bookshelf had taken up one wall but was now completely bare, aside from massive amounts of damage. Chunks of wood were missing, as though they had been blown apart. What was left of the shelves contained numerous scorch and claw marks. Every piece of furniture had been completely massacred. The floor was littered with chunks of wood, shredded cotton, scattered feathers, shattered glass, and chunks of stone. 

“Draco,” he called softly. 

There was a brief scuffling noise, followed by the sound of something being torn apart. Harry walked carefully through the mess, towards the far left corner where the noise was coming from. His suspicions grew as he heard a low and angry growl, followed by more tearing. 

Using his wand to levitate a rather large piece of what had once been a desk out of the way, Harry fought the urge to smile; Draco was in his cat form, currently using a very expensive-looking chair as his own personal scratch post. 

The cat continued to pay Harry no mind, obviously very focused on his task. The chair resembled a throne, the wood a deep and elegant brown, and carved to form intricate patterns throughout. The cushions were Slytherin green, and the arms of the chair were carved to resemble snakes, though they now had their eyes gouged out. The rest of the chair had been treated similarly; claw marks were deeply embedded throughout the wood, the back cushion had already been torn to shreds, and Draco had evidently just begun the process of ripping apart the seat. 

“Now what did that chair ever do to you Draco?” 

The cat did not look at Harry, but simply let out an angry hiss and continued his work. 

Harry reached out his hand, hesitating when Draco let out another growl. “Come now,” he said patiently, “I’m pretty sure you’ve killed it.” He reached towards the cat again, and this time, Draco allowed Harry to pick him up. Harry cradled Draco to his chest, mildly surprised that he didn’t feel the least awkward in doing so, and left the room. 

He waited a few moments and entered again. This time they entered the sitting room Harry had designed for their first meeting. The only new addition was an elaborate cat tower that he had seen at Mrs. Figgs during one of his many visits. It had multiple levels, scratching posts, ramps, cat toys, and two areas for sleeping. Draco sniffed and swatted Harry’s face as if to say “very funny”. Harry laughed and moved to his customary spot on the sofa, deciding to keep hold of Draco as long as the cat made no effort to move. 

After a moment, Harry decided to give something a try. He moved his hand to the top of the cat’s head, giving his ear an experimental scratch. Draco shook his head swiftly and turned, giving Harry a reproachful look. Harry chuckled softly and shrugged, moving his hand back to lightly stroke the soft fur. Draco tensed and was completely still for a few moments until Harry began to scratch his ears again. The cat relaxed so swiftly and to such a point that it was almost as if he melted where he lay. Harry smiled softly when the cat began to purr and nuzzle into his hand. 

* * *

Harry opened his eyes, slightly disoriented. He looked around for a few moments before he remembered. He had come to the Room of Requirement to find Draco, which he had. The boy had been tearing apart the room in his animagus form. The last thing he remembered was petting Cat-Draco. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, realizing he must have fallen asleep. 

It was at this moment that he realized the weight on his lap didn’t feel like a cat. He looked down and saw, to his surprise and embarrassment, that Draco was now in his human form, curled in the fetal position with his head resting on Harry’s knees. 

Harry took a moment to study his former rival, noting that Draco looked much more peaceful when he slept. The boy must have been under tremendous stress lately for there to be this much of a difference. His normally immaculate blonde hair was now ruffled from sleep and slightly falling into his face. He looked almost…pretty. Harry felt an impulse to stroke the shining blonde hair and remove it from his face. Slowly, as if he didn’t know what he was doing, his hand reached out toward the gorgeous locks...

Realizing his train of thought, Harry pulled back his hand as though burned and mentally punched himself.

_ Guys are not pretty! Their hair is not something to be thought of as gorgeous or pet-able! No matter how golden and soft it looks...No! Get ahold of yourself, Harry! It’s only because you’ve seen him as a cat. Cats are cute. It’s normal to want to pet a cat when you see one. Snap out of it! _

With that thought, he shoved Draco off of his lap, wincing slightly when he hit the floor with a loud  _ THUD _ , and moved over to the opposite couch as quickly as possible, grabbing a random quidditch magazine from the coffee table and flipping it to a random page. 

He was relieved to have made it just in time. At the very moment he flipped open the book, Draco was off the floor, looking at him suspiciously. 

“What in the bloody hell just happened,” Draco questioned angrily, rubbing the already forming bruise on his forehead. 

Trying his hardest to sound confused, “how should I know? One second you were asleep, the next you were on the floor. Did you roll off or something?” 

Draco stared at him a moment longer and Harry fought to keep the guilt from his face. He could have cheered with relief when Draco mumbled, “guess I must have,” and moved to sit on the couch opposite him. 

“So...what was all that earlier? Why did you decide to destroy an office of all things? And what was with that chair?”

Draco was silent, and Harry wondered if he had offended him somehow. Maybe it wasn’t any of his business...they had come really far in just a couple of days, but Draco was still the same in a lot of ways. He was probably already embarrassed that Harry had caught him in such a display. 

Just as Harry was getting ready to apologize and tell him to forget it, “It was a replica of my father’s office. I wasn’t expecting to feel so...angry. Truthfully, I wasn’t prepared to feel much of anything. I’ve spent years forcing down all of my emotions. It’s what was expected of me. For some reason, I couldn’t do that this time. By the time you arrived, I had mostly calmed down. But the thought of carving up that monstrosity of a chair was too good to pass up. It’s a Malfoy heirloom, and hideously gaudy and obvious. I couldn’t resist.”

After a few moments of silence, Harry asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Draco looked up, and Harry’s heart ached at the pain and fear that he could see swirling in the stormy grey eyes. He said nothing and waited. 

“You weren’t supposed to see any of that…” Draco whispered, so quietly Harry almost missed it. 

“I came looking for you. I couldn’t have come in if you hadn’t told the room I could,” the implied question hanging in the air.

“I told the room to allow you in if you showed, but I never thought you would,” the pain in Harry’s chest increased at the cynicism and doubt in Draco’s voice. 

“Of course I did. How could I not...after that bastard…” his anger spiked and he paused to reign in his temper. Now wasn’t the time to lose it again. 

“The howler. He insulted you...threatened you. Thank you for destroying it. I wasn’t expecting him to go that far,” 

Harry shook his head, “I didn’t destroy it because he insulted me or threatened me Draco. People do that every day.”

“Then why…?”

Taking a deep breath, “because you’re my friend Draco, and I couldn’t stand to hear him say those things to you anymore.”

Draco said nothing, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. Harry was forced to look away, feeling more than a little awkward and embarrassed at being so open with his thoughts. He hadn’t been able to help it. Draco had needed to know the truth. No matter how thoroughly he had planned this whole thing, hearing that his father didn’t care about him in the least had to have been shattering. 

The awkward tension was to a breaking point. Both boys nearly jumped in the air when the silence was shattered by a faint

_ Knock, knock, knock _

The pair stood immediately, wands out, embarrassment forgotten. 

“Did you bar the room from intruders,” Draco questioned harshly. 

Harry hesitated, “I told it to bar anyone unfriendly…”

“Oh, brilliant! Now, what are we supposed to do?”

Harry was just about to shoot off an angry retort when the door opened, revealing none other than Hermione. Later, he would reflect on how this hadn’t surprised him in the least. If anyone was going to find out about this place on their own, it would be Hermione. 

“What are  _ you  _ doing here?” Draco sneered.

Harry shot a glare his way, but it seemed to have gone unnoticed. Hermione didn’t react in the slightest to Draco’s tone, “I wanted to let you both know that we have potions starting soon. Professor Snape will give you both detention if you don’t show, you especially Harry.” 

Draco’s eyes widened at this. He said nothing, simply nodding and turning away. 

Hermione appeared to have taken this as an affirmative and turned to Harry, “Could I speak with you in private for a moment?”

Harry hesitated, looking towards Draco who still had his back turned, “I’ll see you in class?” Draco didn’t respond but simply nodded. Harry sighed and followed Hermione from the room. 

* * *

The pair walked in silence for several minutes before Harry asked, “how did you find us, Hermione?”

Hermione looked sheepish at this, “I’ve been following you. We’ve been worried sick, Harry. Ron and I both feel absolutely horrid about what happened over the summer. You’ve been spending so much time away from the dorms, the great hall, and pretty much everywhere but class. The first few times you went into that room I thought I must have just lost you somehow. It took several hours of searching through the restricted section before I found out about the come-and-go room and how to get in. The book said that the room could be seen by others when occupied if the person inside was willing to have visitors. Apparently, today was the first day you were. Good thing too, I can’t imagine how Professor Snape would react if you missed class.”

Harry grimaced; Hermione had a point. Snape would jump at any chance to throw him in detention. Her story didn’t surprise him in the least; it was classic Hermione.    
  


“I really am sorry, Harry. Ron is too.”

Harry started to protest, but Hermione interrupted him, “He is, Harry. He didn’t act like it this morning, but you know how he is. He gets so hot-headed,” she shook her head, “but we’ve talked it over a good deal. We know you’re still angry, but would you please consider talking with us about it? We really want to understand.” 

Harry thought it over. If he was honest with himself, he missed the days when things between them had been less complicated. Before last year, their friendship had been completely solid. When he tried to forget about everything that happened, he really did miss them. Ron and Hermione bickering, chess, and quidditch with Ron, Hermione constantly nagging them about their homework.

He shook his head and sighed, “I miss you guys too. But everything last year...and this summer…” he trailed off. 

Hermione looked at him pleadingly, “Please Harry. Just talk to us about it? Tell us everything. We promise to listen this time.”

“Alright,” Harry relented, “I’ll meet you in the common room tonight. But you have to tell Ron that me helping Draco is non-negotiable. He’s been through a lot and he’s really changed, even if he doesn’t show it yet.”

“Of course,” Hermione nodded, “As I said before, I heard what his father said. Even if he’s still a git, he deserves a chance. Besides, I’ve thought it over and his insults haven’t been the same this year. He hasn’t even called me a mudblood.”

It was extremely relieving to know that at least he had Hermione on his side. He and Ron would never have a chance of getting back to normal if Ron couldn’t trust him with this. Maybe Hermione would be able to make him see sense before they talked tonight, preventing another argument in the process. Harry was extremely tired of arguing and defending himself. 

“So what does Draco plan to do? The Slytherin house is in an absolute uproar. Surely he doesn’t plan to go back?”

Shaking his head, “No, he has a plan.”

Hermione stared at him for a few moments, and Harry shook his head again, “I’m sorry Hermione, but it’s not my secret to tell.”

“But Harry…”

“No. Draco trusted me. It’s his secret to tell.”

“It’s alright Harry,” came a familiar drawl from behind them. Harry and Hermione spun around, “Draco! Have you been following us this whole time?”

“Really, what did you expect?” Draco scoffed lightly, “We are going to the same class after all, and you two were walking so slowly, you’d be lucky to make it to the dungeons before Christmas. It’s a good thing Granger came to collect us during our break, rather than right before class,” he turned toward Hermione with a smirk.

Hermione smiled, not the least bit embarrassed at being caught out, “I wanted to make sure Harry and I had plenty of time to chat, and I couldn’t risk us being late. How was I to know you’d follow us?” Hermione said in a tone that indicated she had expected that very thing. For his part, Harry felt rather foolish; he hadn’t even noticed that the hallways were practically empty of students. 

Draco raised his brow, evidently impressed, “Indeed. To answer your question, Granger, I am an unregistered animagus,” he ignored Harry’s shocked look, “I intend to roam the castle and grounds in my form until holidays, or until I determine it is safe to do otherwise.”

Harry could see that Hermione was practically bursting with curiosity and he tried not to laugh. He had no doubt she was itching to talk to someone who had managed the process. Although she had caught Skeeter last year, she wouldn’t have questioned the witch on it. 

As if unable to contain herself, “That’s brilliant, Malfoy! What form do you take?” she winced, “I apologize, I’m sure that’s a rather personal question…” she trailed off, embarrassed. 

After a few moments, “A cat,” he lifted his face imperiously, as though daring her to say anything about it. Hermione only smiled again, “That’s perfect! No one will question a cat roaming around. So many students have them for pets, myself included.”

Stiffly, as if not knowing what to make of this conversation, he nodded and said nothing more. “I’ve got to be going. I won’t be in class today. See you later Harry…Granger.”

Harry started to protest, but Draco was gone. He wondered where the blonde was off to in such a hurry, and with such a steely look on his face. He could only hope Draco would be careful, whatever he was up to. 

“Harry Potter!” Hermione said reproachfully, causing Harry to snap back to attention. Her arms were crossed and she was staring at him accusingly. Normally, this would have been the look she gave when he had put off his homework until the last minute. 

“What, Hermione? What’s the problem?” 

Hermione signed and shook her head at him, “How could you let him do this, Harry?”

Confused, “His animagus form? You said it was a good idea?”

“Not that,” she scolded him, “of course it was a good idea, Harry. It takes a great deal of time and discipline to become an animagus, especially at our age.” 

“Then what..?”

“How can you expect him to roam the castle and grounds as a stray?”

“I mean...what am I supposed to do about it, Hermione?” 

Hermione threw her arms in the air in frustration, looking as though she was tired of spelling something out for him. “You’ll invite him to stay with you, of course!” She said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry was shocked, to say the least. True, he’d briefly considered it, and Hermione was taking this situation much better than he could have hoped for, but he hadn’t expected her to have a problem with Draco acting as a stray. Not only did she have a problem with it, but she also appeared to be blaming him! 

“It was his idea, Hermione,” he stammered, attempting to defend himself, “I mean, we are friends now, but you know how he is! He’s too proud, he’d never…”

“That is no excuse, Harry Potter! You promised him you’d help him, and yet you intend to let him fend for himself?!” She was practically shouting now, definitely getting into lecture mode, “There’s no telling what could happen to him! Having to hunt for food and such is bad enough, but he could get sick or hurt! Some creature could attack him and he would be done for! I mean really Harry, how could you expect…”

“Alright, alright!” Harry spoke swiftly, attempting to calm her. “You’re right. I thought about asking him before, but I didn’t. I’ll talk to him about it tonight. Satisfied?” 

Hermione smiled, looking rather pleased with herself, and marched towards the dungeons. Harry chuckled good-naturedly. The talk with Ron and Hermione tonight was going to be difficult. He could only hope it would go better than the last time. Now on top of that, he had to convince Draco to hide out as his pet. That was sure to go over well. 

Harry wandered around the hallways, trying in vain to plan out what he was going to say when he talked to Ron and Hermione, and eventually Draco. When he finally gave up on that, he decided he may as well head to the dungeons, even though he would still be a bit early. This was going to be a long day. 


	7. Into the Snake Pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regardless of the changes in his perspective, Draco Malfoy is not above exacting revenge. Umbridge will pay for her actions against him, Harry, and the other students of Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I was so immersed in my time travel AU that I really couldn't write anything else! I think I'll be able to balance between the two now. I'll try to update once a week, at least! 
> 
> Love to my friends Kaedemarie and Freyja-luna for seeing me through this chapter, and to all my lovely Larks for their unwavering support.

“Ahem. Wonderful to see you, Mr. Malfoy. I must admit I was a tad concerned after the events of this morning. I’m pleased to see your priorities are still in line despite your  _ unfortunate _ circumstances.”

Struck by sudden inspiration, Draco Malfoy had decided to visit Umbridge. Although he had been in her office before, the sight of it never failed to sicken him. The room was heinous, having been decorated in the most garish mismatched pinks he had ever seen. The walls looked like several tea parties had exploded, and the cats covering the gaudy plates nearly made him regret his animagus form. 

However, something about her horrible taste in decorating allowed Draco to slip back into his “Malfoy” mask as though it were a worn glove. He stood straight and tall, his nose held almost imperceptibly in the air so that he was looking down on everyone and everything around him, and his mouth was curved into the haughty sneer that had become his trademark. 

While it was true that he didn’t want Harry to see him like this,  _ and perhaps Granger _ , he grudgingly admitted to himself, he had no trouble putting up a front for someone he disdained. It was a relief, as he had plans that relied on flawless deception. 

“Of course, Madam,” Draco purred, lowering his head in a bow of respect, “It would be foolish to allow personal matters to interfere with my service to the school.” Looking at him, no one would have guessed that his thoughts were the exact opposite.  _ Admittedly this is slightly personal, but then, the greatest service I could do for the school would be to put you in your place.  _

His performance had the desired effect: her face grew impossibly swollen and flushed the same color pink as her office. “That’s very nice to hear, Mr. Malfoy. It would have been rather… unfortunate… if you were no longer able to perform your duties,” she smiled sweetly at him. 

_ ‘Your sickeningly-sweet smile won’t work on me, you disgusting troll. I am much better at this than you. Subtlety is the art of deception, and you’re about as subtle as a Blast-Ended Screwt.’ _

“I should expect so,” he said haughtily. “Anyone who would put the school in jeopardy should be dealt with appropriately and immediately.” 

“I completely agree.”

_ That’s very fortunate, considering you will be the first. _

“Now, I assume you’ve come here to give your weekly report?” 

“Yes, I’ve found something I believe you would be interested in,” Draco tempted vaguely, internally smirking when he saw her eyes widen with curiosity and greed. 

_ Child’s play. It’s almost boring.  _

“Well?” she huffed impatiently, “Go on then!” 

“Apologies, Madam, of course,” he began, “I’ve found a hidden room in the castle. It can provide whoever summons it with anything they require.” 

“Is that so?” Umbridge asked, attempting to remain calm, “I assume you have more information. What are the limitations on this room?” she prodded, with an edge of aggression in her voice. 

_ If I hadn’t already known the truth, I certainly would now. You’re practically foaming at the mouth.  _

“The only limitation that I am aware of is that it cannot conjure food,” Draco said, repeating the words Harry had told him, “due to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, of course. Other than that, there seems to be no limit on what the room can provide.” 

Umbridge stared at him for a moment before swiftly exiting her office. Draco was mystified until she shouted, “Come along, Mr. Malfoy. I don’t have all day. Show me the room this instant.” 

“Of course, Madam,” he said respectfully, allowing his face to twist into a sneer as he followed behind her. His trap had snapped shut. 

When they arrived at the designated wall on the seventh floor, Umbridge turned to him, her already large face swelling with rage, “Ahem. I do hope you have not deceived me, Mr. Malfoy. Such trickery would be very unwise on your part.

Saying nothing, Draco walked towards the wall and paced three times. When the door appeared, Draco faced Umbridge, delighting in the glazed look on her face. Without another word, he stepped inside, holding open the door. 

Umbridge seemed to forget that Draco was there. As she slowly walked around the room, he could hear her muttering to herself, “Such promise… must tell the Minister… Dumbledore… Potter.” 

The rage he had been controlling up to that point flared to an inferno at the mention of Harry’s name, “ _ PETRIFICUS TOTALUS _ !” 

Draco felt immense satisfaction as he watched Umbridge pitch forward. She landed on the floor face-first, and Draco couldn’t help but feel pleased that he had thought to ask the room for a stone floor this time. He was sure it hurt that much worse. 

  
“ _ Accio _ , Umbridge’s wand,” Draco said, grinning as the wand flew effortlessly into his hand. “Much better. You won’t be needing it for a while, so I may as well hold on to it.” 

After pocketing the wand, he decided to move the witch so that she was lying face-up. “ _ Locomotor _ ,” he whispered. Umbridge was subsequently lifted into the air, turned over, and dropped once again on the stone floor. 

He strolled over and bent down, looking her directly in the eye. Unsurprisingly, there was no fear, only anger. 

“Tsk, tsk, what a shame,” he mocked, “you seem to have fallen, my lady.” 

Draco was unable to contain his amusement at the situation any longer and burst into great peals of laughter. After a few moments, he wiped his eyes and lowered his face to hers, a malicious grin on his face. 

“I can’t believe you fell for it,” he laughed. “What kind of Slytherin would give away a precious secret for nothing in return? You _ have _ become overconfident.” 

“ _ Hominem Bufofors _ .” 

There was a flash, and where Umbridge had been moments ago, there was now a sizeable muddy-brown toad. Draco didn’t have much experience with toads, but he thought this one was hideous. 

Draco mumbled the counter-curse, and the toad was released from its body-bind. 

“Qwark, qwark, qwark!” the toad croaked as it slowly crawled toward the exit. 

“I’m afraid I don’t speak toad,” Draco laughed, “but I don’t think you’ll be making it to the exit anytime soon. Even if you could somehow reach the door, the toad is a rather slow animal.” 

The toad turned around and puffed up its body, looking like a bumpy balloon as it called loudly, “Quark!” 

“You’re about as intimidating as a toad as you are in human form… but very well,” he sighed, “have your say.” 

With a wave of his wand and a muttered spell, Umbridge was human again.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Umbridge shrieked, “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I WILL NOT BE MADE A FOOL OF BY A PATHETIC, COWARDLY, SNIVELING CHILD! I WILL HAVE YOU-” 

_ Flash _

“Now, now,” he mockingly chastised Umbridge, who was once again in toad form. “A professor of your standing should have better manners than that.” Without another word, he moved to the sofa and picked up a Quidditch magazine. 

For half an hour, Draco read his magazine, resolutely ignoring the hoarse croaks from across the room. It was only when the toad was finally silent that he decided to look up. 

He stood and walked to the toad, curious at the sudden change in behavior. “Does this mean you’re going to behave yourself?”

The toad remained silent. 

With a quirk of his brow, Draco waved his wand, returning Umbridge to her human form. 

Draco observed Umbridge cooly. Her eyes had gone steely with malice, and her mouth was twisted in a cruel grin. He suspected this might be her natural face, as it looked much more natural on her, compared to her usual wide-eyes and innocent smile routine. 

“Now I understand why your father disowned you,” she hissed, “it must have been such a disappointment to your father, learning that his son was a filthy, disgusting, disgraceful excuse for an heir.” 

Draco was fuming, his knuckles were stark-white against his wand, and the urge to curse her into oblivion was almost unbearable. 

Umbridge seemed to notice this. Her evil smile grew impossibly wider, and she continued, “Honestly, what else could he have done? Obviously, the shame of having a disgraceful, mudblood-loving blood-traitor was too much for a respectable man of society-”

“SHUT UP!” Draco screamed, enraged past thinking. “ _ Stupify _ !”

Umbridge flew across the room. 

Quickly, Draco used the room’s magic to summon a cushion in the area where she would land. 

Cushioned though it was, the landing was still somewhat rough, and Umbridge collapsed into a heap on the floor. 

Draco moved to her side, speaking in a rather harsh voice, “apologies, I’m afraid I lost my temper. I hadn’t intended to harm you physically. I had decided that the best revenge against you would be to turn you into the filthy, crawling animal that you are.” He took a breath and continued, “Unfortunately, you’ve overplayed your hand.” 

He stepped back, changed her into a toad once more, and shifted into his cat form. 

TBC

_ *Runs and hides from the angry mob* _

Sorry for the cliffhanger, I couldn't help myself! 


End file.
